Alexis Starr, Number XV
by Darkness on the Horizon Leader
Summary: OC/AU..ish. Alexis Starr is the newest member of Organization XIII, takes place IN A DIFFERENT TIME from Axille. *On Hiatus until further notice.
1. To Hollow Bastion!

**Okay, first of all, I decided I didn't like how messed up the storyline was getting, so I went back and edited everything.**

**Second of all, I don't CARE how unrealistic the characters are, it is MEANT to be an OC story. Get it?**

**Third of all: I don't own anything except Alexis, Xant, and Tamenthe.**

* * *

"Luxord, Xigbar, and Roxas, there has been a massive outbreak of Heartless in Hollow Bastion. We must jump on this chance, so you three go and eliminate as many Heartless as possible." Xemnas was saying as the meeting drew to an end.

Numbers II, X, and XIII looked up at the Superior and nodded.

"But why the three of us? Roxie can just wipe them all out in one sweep of the Keyblade." Xigbar said, smiling. Some weird inside joke with himself was causing many little laughs to come from him.

Luxord stared. Roxas did too.

"Xigbar try to survive a single day without laboring us with your useless and senseless comedy, please." Vexen drawled from his chair across the room, clear irritation on his face.

Xemnas took no notice, merely stroking his temple with a finger.

"Oh, and you three, you might as well be informed.." he said softly.

"Informed of _what_?" Luxord asked, shuffling his cards.

"Someone...or some_thing _has been very active in Hollow Bastion, eliminating Heartless. Find out what or who it is, why they are doing it, and _try_ to get them to join the Organization." Xemnas said. The way he said "try" let them know that if politeness failed, force wouldn't.

Roxas' brow lifted and he remained silent, thinking over this information.

Ten dark corridors were summoned and disappeared, as the other members went their separate ways, leaving Xigbar, Luxord, and Roxas alone in the Round Room.

"Well we should be on our way." Luxord said, standing up on his chair.

"Careful you don't fall, Lux." Roxas snickered, watching the Gambler of Fate fight for balance on the chair.

"Shut up, Rox—AAAAAAAAAAS!" Luxord shouted as he slipped off the edge. He was dangling precariously from his chair with his fingers hooked around the seat edge, barely keeping him up.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Roxas chuckled.

Then the Key of Destiny summoned a dark corridor and vanished, off to Hollow Bastion.

"Xigbar, don't you DARE. You can NOT leave me like this!" Luxord growled as he tried to hoist himself back up the chair.

"Sure I can." Xigbar snickered and summoned a dark corridor. When he had vanished, his voice echoed around the room until it faded out, "See?"

Luxord was left dangling on the chair, inwardly cursing the two.

* * *

"Well, there you are, Luxy!" Xigbar chortled as a very frazzled Luxord entered. How Luxord got himself out that jam was beyond either of the other two.

"Here I am you bitch." Luxord replied heatedly, his fine blonde hair stuck up in places.

"Temper, temper!" Roxas smiled, swishing his cloak.

"Put a sock in it, Roxas." Luxord snapped.

"Alright, alright, let's not kill each other just yet. Come on, let's find some Heartless." Xigbar said, stepping between them.

Luxord snorted and set off in an easterly direction, the hem of his coat swirling about his legs, "Whatever."

"I think we pissed him off, Xiggy." Roxas said sagely, nodding.

Xigbar snickered and stared off in the direction Luxord had taken, "Gee, you think?"

"Just a hunch." Roxas snickered.

"Well, we'll let him cool off, so let's go West." Xigbar said, steering the 13-year-old in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Xigbar and Roxas—" Luxord was muttering as his cards shot out at several different Heartless.

"Damned bitches..."he continued as he threw a King of Hearts card particularly hard at a moving black figure, imagining it was either of two "damned bitches".

He was taken off guard as the card came flying back at him, nearly cutting a gash in his neck as it flew past.

"Hey what the—" he exclaimed, but the dark figure was gone.

The words died in his throat as the sound of something moving was heard.

"Who are you?" a soft voice asked.

Luxord whirled around.

A young—_really _young girl was standing on a broken down building, twirling a..._Keyblade _in her hands.

"I might ask...you the same thing..." Luxord said warily, bending down to pick up his Ace of Spades card, which had slipped out of his deck in his surprise.

The girl said nothing, merely sitting down on the torn roof of the building, which upon closer inspection appeared to be a house.

"Fair enough. My name is Silea. I exterminate the Heartless in this world." she said. Her tone was formal—polite, even, but her dark blue eyes warned the Gambler of Fate of her mistrust of him.

"_This..._world? You know about the different worlds?" Luxord asked hastily.

"Certainly." Silea replied.

"_And _you know about Heartless?"

"Well, I wouldn't be killing them if I didn't know about them."

Another voice cut into the conversation, and the sounds of two pairs of running feet drew close.

"There you are, Luxord!" Xigbar called.

Silea's blue eyes narrowed and she jumped off the rooftop, holding her Keyblade in her own offensive position. She held it with the point facing outward, her right hand clasped around the handle and the other one behind her back, like a fencer.

Roxas and Xigbar halted when they saw her, their eyes widening.

"Who's your friend?" Roxas ventured eventually.

"I am Silea Starr." the girl cut in before Luxord could answer.

"Well, _Silea,_ what are you doing here?" Xigbar asked, taking a threatening step towards her and summoning his arrowguns.

Big mistake.

Silea jumped forward, turning the Kingdom Key sideways so the chill steel bar that stretched from the key to the handle was facing Xigbar. She rammed her way forward and slammed the bar into the center of Xigbar's stomach. Then, Alexis locked the point of her blade into the handle of one of his guns; she flicked the blade to the side and caused the gun to clatter away until it was completely out of reach.

"Oof." Xigbar gasped, winded, as Alexis tripped him up with the somewhat flat surface that served as the Keyblade's "key" part.

The Freeshooter lay on the ground, his gun two feet away.

"Wow..." Roxas said, his eyes twitching.

Luxord bent to pick up Xigbar's gun, and he returned it to the elder, who was getting to his feet.

Silea took a step back, her blade still held at a threatening stance. It was clear she was no _ordinary _seven-year-old girl.

"I think that Silea is who Xemnas was talking about." Xigbar said, brushing off his cloak. He was somewhat subdued by his swift defeat.

"I think she is." the other two said.

With a dark corridor so helpfully opened by Roxas, Luxord turned to Silea, smiling warmly, "Would you please come with us?"


	2. Alexis, Number XV

"Ahem...you are certain that this..._Silea_ is who I was referring to?" Xemnas asked, staring at the three who had returned from Hollow Bastion.

It was nearly 7:00 in the morning, and several members were still unable to stay awake. Many of them were slumping in their chairs, dozing or barely keeping their eyes open.

Silea was tapping her foot impatiently on the ground below, arms crossed. She still didn't know what had come over her to join Luxord and come here.

_I've got better things to do than be smirked at by a bunch of dudes. More _important_ stuff to do. _she thought.

"Y-yes, sir, Xemnas. You see, she claims she had been destroying Heartless in Hollow Bastion for quite a while...she also defeated Xigbar in—I guess you could call it a spar? in a relatively small amount of time..." Luxord said, avoiding his Superior's gaze. He had only just realized how odd this sounded.

"Xigbar, _really_?" Xemnas asked, barely hiding a smirk.

"The girl's tough." was all the Freeshooter had to say in reply. He was still sore from his defeat. Xaldin had just stopped laughing at him about it.

Vexen held a hand to his mouth to stifle the mocking laughs that were erupting from his chest. Demyx was silently laughing, pounding his armrests as quietly as he could. Axel just all out laughed.

_Xigbar _was defeated by a girl about half as tall as a Dusk? A _seven-year-old _girl?

"Wonderful, haha, joke, hahahahaha, guys!" Demyx choked, unable to contain his mirth anymore.

Silea had had it. They could laugh at Xigbar, but when they started laughing at _her, _she got angry. She cleared her throat loudly and said, "I'm still here, you realize."

The Organization fell silent, staring at her.

In spite of the obvious rage that was seething below those fair features, Silea's voice was calm and level.

"If you doubt me so, why don't you just _try _me?" she asked, in a plain dare.

Vexen sat up straight in his chair, as did just about everyone else.

"Eh, why not? I'll try the kid." Larxene said, jumping down from the staggering height of her chair.

She landed on her feet like a cat, her knives sliding into view. She crooked her arm and held her knives about five inches behind her head, in a basic pre-throwing stance.

"Ready, kiddo?" she snarled, her bright green eyes glinting maliciously.

"Whenever you are." Silea replied.

Larxene acted with extreme speed, sending the knives hurtling in Silea's direction. Silea grinned and held her bar up horizontally, deflecting each of the five knives. Larxene had not expected this. She had expected the girl to be skewered. She narrowed her eyes in outrage and slung her other five knives sloppily, her anger blinding her. Silea ducked around Larxene's knives and dove at the Savage Nymph. She didn't use her Blade, preferring to just ram into Larxene with her shoulder.

Number XII stumbled back.

_Holy crap!_ she thought, _this kid is FAST!_

Silea steadied her Blade and whirled around, bringing the bar of her Kingdom Key into Larxene's side.

That was the last move.

The lightning-wielder fell roughly to the ground, completely winded.

Silea stood over her, staring not at the person she had defeated, but up at Xemnas and the other members.

"_Have you any doubts about me now?_" she asked heatedly.

Demyx went still, staring in shock at Larxene.

The other members were looking at Larxene as well, quietly in awe.

"I think I believe them now..." one of the members whispered.

"Yes, VI, I believe them as well.." a man next to him replied.

Xemnas held up a gloved hand for silence.

When the room was quiet, the Superior turned his attention back to Silea.

"You have certainly proved your strength and speed, Silea. But I believe you can do better."

He waited a moment before continuing.

"Everyone in the Organization receives a new name when they join. You are no different."

Everyone leaned in to hear the name of the newest member. Silea stopped, intrigued.

Xemnas' deep voice rolled throughout the room as he spoke the name aloud.

"Alexis. You are now the Fifteenth Member."

Luxord sat back and smiled down at Alexis, who had just donned the Organization's cloak, received from the darkness. It complimented her blue eyes and black hair quite well.

"Oh, and Luxord? Before the meeting is over..." Xemnas said, calling the Gambler of Fate's attention up to him.

"You shall be her mentor until further notice."

Axel and Xigbar snickered and Axel called over to him, "Good luck, Lux! It's not easy mentoring someone!"

"Oh shut it you two." Luxord replied.

Xemnas said before rising to leave, "All of you are dismissed."

* * *

"Brava, Alexis! Brava indeed!" Luxord was saying. They were in the Grey Area.

Alexis sat on the armrest of one of the couches, facing the members as they came in.

"Eh, it was nothing." the newest member said off-handedly.

Xigbar, Axel, and Roxas came over.

"Oh, hey Alexis." Xigbar smiled.

"Hello Xigbar." Alexis replied, jumping off the armrest. Her arms folded as soon as she landed. It seemed to be a habit, Xigbar observed.

"I don't think you know the others, do you?" the Freeshooter asked, turning to the growing crowd of Organization members.

"Ah no, no I don't." Alexis admitted, _most _of the fire from earlier gone.

"Well then let me introduce you."

Xigbar pointed to Axel and Roxas, "Okay these are numbers VIII and XIII, Axel and Roxas."

Alexis nodded, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to see someone ELSE who uses the Keyblade!" Roxas replied, smiling.

Alexis shrugged.

"Okay then, see that tall blonde dude over there?" Xigbar asked, pointing out another member.

"Yeah...?" Alexis said.

"That is Vexen. The short guy on his left is Zexion-"

Zexion facepalmed, not at all enthusiastic about being referred to as 'the short guy'.

"And the tall guy on his left is Lexaeus. Vexen is number IV, Zexion is number VI, and Lexaeus is number V."

Alexis nodded in their direction. Lexaeus and Zexion waved but Vexen merely crossed his arms and looked away.

"'kay then. Well you know Larxene already." Xigbar said, waving to the blond woman, "the guy with pink hair is Marluxia, and the person on the couch strumming that...I think it's called a sitar, is Demyx. And the man who just walked in, with the long black hair, is Xaldin." Xugbar said, finishing up the introductions.

Alexis nodded and went to the window, looking up at Kingdom Hearts.

"You've got a pretty decent start on Kingdom Hearts," she commented, "but still a way to go until it's done." She wasn't really talking to anyone, it looked as though she was talking aloud to herself.

"We are aware of that, Alexis." a man with an 'X' on his face and blue hair said scathingly.

"Oops, my bad, haha, I forgot one person. This is Saix, second in command of the Organization." Xigbar said, strolling over.

"Hmm.." Alexis murmured before leaving the window to stroll out of the room.

"Eh, I'm gonna go look around some. Ciao!" she said before exiting.

"It's official. I like the kid!" Demyx snickered.

"She's arrogant. You'd better watch her, Luxord." Saix said, annoyed.

"Eh, she'll get over it eventually." Luxord said, sinking down onto one of the couches and pulling out a deck of cards.

"She had better, X." Vexen said from the other side of the room. Clearly he too, had been annoyed by the girl's apparent "arrogance".

Xigbar, Roxas, and Axel left the room, snickering.

"Ha, what's their problem?" Roxas asked.

"Eh, I don't know haha!" Axel replied.


	3. Pranks and Zip Slashers

"Come on Alexis, it'll be fun!" Demyx snickered, looking over at Alexis the next day.

"Yeah, what's the matter? You can fight Xigbar and Larxene no problem but you're scared to live a little?" Roxas taunted.

Alexis was sitting on a windowsill, her arms crossed, as she watched her two friends propping a ladder to the wall.

"You're going to water-trap Axel, Xigbar _and _Luxord? That is stupid, childish, deadly—need I go on?" she asked, eying the buckets of water by the ladder.

"Chicken!" Demyx laughed.

"Am not." Alexis replied.

"Bok! Bok bok bok!" Roxas clucked, doing a ridiculous chicken dance.

"Fine! But if you get caught, which you inevitably will, I was never here." Alexis said.

"We're not going to get caught." Demyx assured her.

"Hurry up!" Roxas hissed. He was standing watch.

Alexis slid off the sill and picked up a bucket, her blue eyes dark with doubt.

"You're so going to get caught."

* * *

The ladder rattled slightly as Demyx descended it, finishing up their prank.

Alexis was leaning on the wall, watching him as he lowered himself to the ground.

"You're gonna get caught." she warned in an annoying singsong voice.

"No we're not." Roxas replied in an equally annoying voice.

Demyx, being the oldest of the three, swished his cloak imperiously and said, "We are not going to get caught. End of discussion."

"Yeah whatever, Demmy, but we'd better scoot. They're coming." Alexis said, her ear to the wall.

The three dashed around the corner and crouched there, waiting for it.

_Thunk! Splash!_

"HEY WHAT THE HELL?" Xigbar's voice shouted.

"WHAT THE—" Luxord broke off.

"ACK! I'M ALL WET!" Axel cried.

The three pranksters were laughing and falling all over each other. Their plan had worked!

"Bahaha! That was priceless!" Roxas laughed, tears running down his face.

"Haha yeah!" Demyx agreed.

"How about that Little Dou—OH HI VEXEN!" Demyx shouted, staring up, mortified, into the faces of Vexen and Zexion.

Roxas still had his back turned, watching the antics of the men down the hall. He was still laughing.

Demyx elbowed roughly in the side and he turned around, rubbing the spot. He stared up at the two and the laughter died in his throat.

"And what, may I ask, is so funny?" Vexen asked icily (no pun intended.)

Alexis had disappeared.

"Ah, uh, we—we just—COMING AXEL?" Roxas stuttered, fleeing around the corner with Demyx at his heels.

The two miscreants collided with three very wet and angry looking men, coming around the corner.

"Luxord, Xigbar, Axel, what the hell happened to you?" Zexion asked, surveying the dripping mentors.

"We opened our doors and were each blasted by a bucket full of ice cold water." Axel growled.

Xigbar grabbed Roxas and Demyx and held them by their hoods.

"And I'm quite sure these two had something to do with it." he said dangerously.

"No no! You don't understand! Alexis was with us too!" Demyx squealed in increasing panic.

"Don't be an idiot, IX. XV is not even here." Vexen said, looking around.

"Come to think of it, I think she just left for a mission with Lexaeus and Xaldin in Agrabah." Zexion added thoughtfully.

"No, no way! She was with us the entire time!" Roxas insisted.

"That's enough out of you two!" Xigbar said, shaking them roughly by the collars.

"Well she was right," Demyx muttered underneath his breath to Roxas, "we got caught, and she was never there."

Roxas nodded miserably as Axel dragged him away to his room.

Demyx was squirming in Xigbar's grip, freaking out, "You don't have to, Xiggy! It was a joke! That's all!"

"Idiots." Vexen snorted.

Luxord slipped away to his room to get into a new outfit by the meeting that night.

* * *

"Okay then, what's the mission again?" Alexis asked, smoothing down her coat. She smiled to herself a little, at the thought of the trouble Demyx and Roxas must have been getting in to. She really _was_ a little sadistic.

"We're supposed to be searching for a Zip Slasher, I believe." Lexaeus said.

"Zip Slasher, huh. Well can't be that hard." Alexis smiled, leaping up onto an awning above her with the grace and agility of someone far beyond her years.

"Alexis, where are you going?" Xaldin demanded as she ascended out of reach.

"I'm gonna go scout around, see if I see it, and report back." the girl called back down.

"Get back here, Alexis." Lexaeus said falteringly. He still wasn't sure about how to address the girl.

Xaldin backhanded him, "_Idiot!_ She could get herself _killed_!"

"She'll be okay, Xaldin...she's tough, like Xigbar said." Lexaeus replied.

"If she's dead on her first mission, I'm blaming it on you." Xaldin said irritably.

Half an hour later, the two came upon Alexis, astride their Zip Slasher, riding it as if she were at a rodeo.

"Oh—hey—guys! Whoa! What took you so long?" she called as the Slasher danced around, trying to reach her with its swords.

"Alexis what the hell are you DOING?" Xaldin shouted, his lances whirling around him

"Just—doing—my—oof! JOB—Xal—Din!" she shouted back, tossed and jerked by the Heartless.

"Get down from there before you get killed!" Lexaeus shouted as the two swords of the Slasher drew nearer.

Alexis took the Keyblade and jabbed it through the Slasher's mark, located right on the shoulder.

She leapt off it neatly and twirled around to watch it disappear, a large red, jewel-like heart flying up through the sky until it vanished.

"Well then, that was fun. See you back at the castle guys! Better hurry, we have a meeting tonight!" Alexis called cheerfully as she opened a dark portal and left.

Lexaeus and Xaldin were staring, wide-eyed, at the spot the Slasher had been previously.

"Uh..what just.."

"What just happened?"

* * *

"Okay then, now that everyone is present..." Xemnas was saying at the start of the meeting.

Alexis was seated above Luxord's head on a ledge, swinging her legs as she listened to the meeting. With nowhere else to sit (apart from sharing a seat with someone), this 'seat' had been all that was left. She noted with a smirk that Roxas and Demyx were having difficulty keeping still in their seats, squirming around on the high marble chairs.

_I tried to warn them._

"What happened on the mission to Agrabah?" the Superior asked the three, snapping Alexis' attention back to the meeting as well.

"Mission accomplished. Zip Slasher eliminated." Alexis said, smiling.

Xaldin tensed, waiting to hear Alexis claim all the glory.

"The Heartless was difficult to take down, but the three of us managed alright." Alexis went on, winking at Lexaeus and Xaldin.

"Excellent work, III, V, and XV." Xemnas said, nodding.

"The mission to Atlantica was also a success, sir." Marluxia said, bringing their attention to his completed mission to Atlantica to destroy several Heartless.

"Wonderful." Xemnas said without looking over at him.

"Now then, I suppose that's it for now. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone rose and left, Roxas and Demyx calling over to Alexis, telling her to meet them in her room.

"Yeesh I wonder what they want!" Alexis wondered before jumping into a dark portal to her room.

* * *

"Okay, Alexis, we had an idea for another great prank..." Demyx said. He and Roxas were apparently very quick to bounce back.


	4. AdVENTure!

Alexis sat back on her bed with a surprised huff.

"Wow, Demyx—that is _evil._" she said, staring at him.

"How great am I?" the Nocturne asked, looking at her.

"That's—kind of—_brilliant._" Roxas added, staring in awe at his friend.

"Yeah," Demyx said arrogantly, "I know."

"So when do we do it?" Alexis asked eagerly.

"Soon, XV, soon! I'd give it a week or so, just 'til the water-trap incident settles down." Demyx answered.

"Okay. Great. Now..._get the hell out of my room._" Alexis demanded, opening a dark portal and shoving the two boys through it.

* * *

"Hm...good plan, Demyx," the girl murmured, staring at the spot where the two boys had disappeared, "but it's missing that special something...that sort of..._flair._"

It had officially been a week since the Agrabah incident, and Demyx and Roxas were ready to prank.

"Come on, let's find Alexis and get started." Demyx said, bopping Roxas on the shoulder.

But when they approached the Key-Wielder's room and opened the door—their friend wasn't there.

"Alexis?" Roxas called, looking in.

"Alexis!" Demyx shouted into her bathroom.

"Not here." they both said, meeting next to her door.

A loud shout echoed all the way through the castle, a shout from _Marluxia _to be exact.

"_WHO DID THIS?"_

Demyx and Roxas knew which direction the shout had come from, and wild laughter from a girl reached their ears and came closer.

"Three guesses who?" Roxas asked Demyx as they each turned and met the pace with Alexis as she ran past.

"Come on, guys!" Alexis called as she pulled ahead and dove around a corner, "Move fast, now, he's gaining!"

This sentence was punctuated—literally—by a rain of rose thorns that came hurtling after them.

Demyx chanced a glance back and saw Marluxia looking like some pink-haired Grim Reaper, his hood blown back, his scythe in hand, and hundreds of thorns shooting out of each sleeve.

"SHIT!" the musician exclaimed as he felt part of his sleeve being ripped away by a nasty torrent.

"Quick!" Alexis exclaimed, darting around another corner. The miscreants were faced by maybe seven doors and ten corners, and Marluxia was getting closer!

Thinking fast, Alexis dove forward three doors then whipped right through a corner. She shot her gaze upward and found a silver grate set into the plaster ceiling.

"Gotcha!"

Summoning her Keyblade, she took aim and shot one bolt of Thundara at the air duct, blowing it off. A rush of Aero sent the three kids hurtling upwards, and they landed quite comfortably in the oddly spacious vent.

"Quick, the vent!" Roxas squealed, listening in panic as Marluxia came closer.

Alexis obliged, using Magnet to draw the covering back up and locking it in place by melting it with Firaga.

They each held their breath as the peered down through the grate, as a flustered Marluxia came to the spot they were a second ago and looked around. Deciding they weren't there, the Assassin ran off in another direction, shouting.

"Good—effing—grief, Alexis! What did you do?" Demyx asked, taking a deep, steadying breath.

"Oh nothing _major! _All I did was use Firaga on his rosebushes while training with Axel, Demmy!" Alexis said, looking at the older male with big, wide eyes.

Roxas poked them with a finger.

"Haha, nice Alexis. And what did Axel do?" he asked.

"He just screamed run and we ran." Alexis laughed.

Demyx interrupted with an elbow to both.

"Hate to interrupt, but can we like, _move?_"

"Right. This way_._" Alexis said, leading them away from the scene of the crime.

"Hey Alexis," Roxas whispered after a while, "how long have we been in this thing?"

Alexis, annoyed at the confined space, hissed, "I don't know! I'm not fucking LUXORD."

"Well that's good to hear." Demyx joked. That earned him a wickedly hard elbow in the ribs and back as he was hit from both sides.

"You are not funny, Demyx." Roxas growled.

"Owowow...yeah yeah, whatever, Rox." the sitarist muttered.

After some time later, Alexis was close to going insane at the tiny space.

"DAMMIT." she cursed as they passed through something that made the vent an inch smaller.

"Hey, we've been in here a while...how can this vent support our weight?" Demyx asked.

At that, a loud crumbling noise was heard, and a screeching creaking tore through their eardrums. The cacophony stopped, and Roxas hissed something.

"Ask a stupid question."

Then the vent collapsed.

"Oh shit." Alexis hissed as she sat up, unharmed, on top of Roxas and Demyx. They were surrounded by dust and laying on a splintered table, right between Zexion and Luxord, who was holding a chess Knight in his hand.

"Um...hi Lux." the girl said, blinking up at him.

"Mnnnffffff..." Roxas, who was at the bottom of the pile, mumbled.

"Alexis...GET YOUR FATASS OFF ME, WOMAN." Demyx screeched.

Rolling her eyes, Alexis just shifted her weight on Demyx's back and crossed her legs, propping her head up on her hand as she blinked up at Zexion and Luxord.

"So how's your day goin'?" she asked.

Zexion was quite taken aback with the child's manner. She had just fallen through the ceiling and was acting as if it was just like falling out of bed.

"Ah—fine. And...yours?" the illusionist asked.

"Oh fine, thanks for asking!" Alexis smiled.

Demyx freaked out again.

"ALEXIS GET OFF ME! I CAN'T FEEL ROXAS BREATHING ANYMORE!" he screamed.

"Oops." the girl snickered, slipping off him.

Demyx rose and beat the dust and plaster out of his cloak, before spinning around to nudge Roxas' face with his foot.

"Rox? Roxy! Rox-as?" he asked.

Roxas got up, slowly. It was clear it took him some energy. He had—after all—been the first one out of the ceiling and onto a splintering table.

The unmistakable sound of someone approaching at a fast rate forced the two boys together, while Luxord rose and took an iron hold on his charge's arm.

Marluxia appeared in the doorway, looking ironically comical. His hair was ruffled up and jutting out in all directions, his sleeves were torn and ragged from the thorns, and his scythe blade seemed a bit duller.

"YOU!" he screamed, pointing at Demyx, Roxas, and Alexis, "YOU THREE WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

He charged at them, his scythe waving around like a maniac.

Luxord, using his time magic, froze him in place.

"Okay. Demyx, Roxas, and Alexis, explain yourselves." the gambler ordered, shaking Alexis gently by the shoulder.

Zexion, who had taken hold of Roxas and Demyx, waited for their explanation, though neither boys wanted to explain.

"It was my fault, Luxord." Alexis said, after watching her friends' worried faces for a moment.

"I was training with Axel about three hours ago, close to Marly's rosebushes. Axel was teaching me how to use fire magic, and I accidentally blew a bolt of Firaga at the roses. Axel just told me to leave and we both left. Marluxia started chasing after us and I caught up with Demyx and Roxas next to my room. Marly had started throwing rose thorns at us and he was screaming threats. We got so freaked out we blasted the grate off a vent, got inside it, used Magnet to reattach the grate, and crawled away from it. Apparently, the metal was thinner here. We broke through, landed here, and here we all are."

Marluxia had broken out of the time magic, and was standing still, heaving ragged, aggravated breaths.

"She—lies!" he announced.

"No, I don't Marluxia!" Alexis insisted, clinging to Luxord, "That's what really happened! I'm so sorry I accidentally burned down your roses!"

Marluxia was about to say something, when Zexion stopped him.

"That is the end of the matter, Marluxia. You can leave now." the small higher rank said.

Marluxia, not stupid enough to challenge a Superior, let out an outraged sound and portaled to his room.

When he was gone, Zexion and Luxord turned to the miscreants.

"As for you two, Demyx and Roxas, I want you two to go directly to your mentors, explain what happened, and await _their decision_ of punishment. I don't want to see either of you before dinner. Dismissed." the sixth member said.

"But—but." Roxas stuttered.

"GO." Zexion ordered.

When those three had gone, Luxord grabbed Alexis' arm and turned her to face him.

"Now Alexis, what you did today was very wrong. However, I am proud of you for not blaming Roxas or Demyx and for apologizing without my encouragement. Now I want you to go and stay in your room until dinnertime, and I'll not see you out of their until then. Do I make myself clear?" he asked.

Alexis nodded, defeated, and left to her room.

When she had gone, Luxord looked up at the hole in the ceiling, thinking.

"I'll have to get Vexen or Lexaeus to fix that...that's a rather nasty hole." he murmured.


	5. Longings for the Past

Alexis flashed into her room and fell on the bed, tired.

"Another prank pulled. I must be pushing my luck." she thought.

She got up and looked around. Her room wasn't much. Standard Organization bed, standard white color, standard bookshelf and desk. Standard, standard, standard.

Her gaze traveled to something on her _standard _white marble nightstand. Something she had put there when she first came to the Castle.

Tilting her head, she picked up the shattered picture frame. With an almost depressed sigh she brushed away the broken glass and pulled the two pictures out by the corners.

The first one was of a smiling, red headed 9-year-old. Chakrams amazingly close to Axel's hung at her sides, her green eyes glittering with laughter. Alexis was still amazed at how close the two were in looks. But when the girl spoke, her self-preservation melted away, her voice choked with the threat of tears.

"Xant...my dear sister Xant...where are you now? I—it's been too long. I—I miss you..." she murmured, one, traitorous tear slipping out of the corners of her eyes.

She then looked at the second picture. This one of an older girl with sapphire blue hair and silver eyes.

"And Tamenthe. Tamenthe, you were always there for us. You always were there, to help us when we needed you. Now you, along with Xant...are gone. Those accursed Heartless in Hollow Bastion did it all.

Then she was hit with a flashback.

* * *

She was surrounded by laughing, joking people on the street. The girl from the picture, Xant, was standing in the middle of the Bailey. Tamenthe was behind her, waiting.

"Go long!" a smaller Alexis shouted, throwing a small blue softball at Xant. Xant backed up, turned, and ran, chasing after it. Tamenthe turned and ran after it to, jumping up and grabbing it after a second.

"Nice catch, Tamenthe!" the little Alexis said.

"Nice _throw_, Silea!" Xant added.

* * *

Alexis was tipped out of her dream.

_Silea..._

She hadn't heard that name spoken by Xant in a while now. When had that dream taken place? Three—no two—years ago. Before the...Siege.

"It's already been two years, huh...Xant should be eleven by now. Tamenthe should be thirteen...it's strange...how fast time flies." she murmured.

"Alexis?" someone asked.

Alexis, snapped from her musing, hastily put the pictures in her pocket and turned around, to look at Axel.

"Oh, Axel...hi." she murmured.

"Hey, kid. I just wanted to come and—say I'm sorry." the redhead said, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"What?" Alexis asked, confused.

"About the rosebush incident. I should have held our training—elsewhere. Oh, and Luxord wants to see you in his room." the firewielder, who looked so painfully like Xant, said before disappearing.

"Oh...um, okay..." the girl, left alone, murmured.

* * *

Alexis appeared from a dark corridor outside Luxord's room.

Hesitantly, she knocked and entered, immediately seeing Luxord on his bed.

_Oh dear, _she thought, worried.

"You uh...wanted to see me, Luxord?" she asked.

"Ah, Alexis, come here, come here." the gambler said, patting his bed.

"Oh, um...okay..." Alexis stammered, walking over.

Luxord looked at her and raised a brow, before bursting out laughing.

"Alexis! Ha I just want to talk, kid!" he choked.

Alexis, not quite relieved, came over and sat next to him, looking up at her mentor.

"What's—this all about, Luxord?" she asked.

"Alexis...I want to ask you some...questions." he said, suddenly serious.

"Questions?"

"Yes. About your past life. Xemnas wants to know."

"What do you want to know?"

"...Everything."


	6. Halloweentown: City of Nightmares

Axel was standing outside Luxord's room, his back to the wall, when Roxas came upon him.

"Hey, Ax, what's goin' on?"

"Oh, Luxord's interrogating Alexis." the redhead responded.

"...Why?" Roxas asked, pressing himself against the opposite wall.

"Mansex told him to." Axel replied, looking away.

"Ah—again why?" Roxas pressed.

"It is not your place to question the Superior, XIII." a cold voice said.

Roxas looked to the left and saw Saix striding over, his cloak swirling around him.

"I'm not questioning Xemnas. I'm questioning why Alexis is being interrogated like a criminal." Roxas replied, with maybe a bit more heat than he meant.

"Watch the way you speak to me, XIII. I am still your Superior." Saix growled, pushing roughly past him.

Roxas ignored him and grabbed Axel by the sleeve, leading him away down the corridor.

"Come on, we have a mission with Lexaeus and Larxene to Halloweentown." the teen said, pulling his friend away.

* * *

Back in Luxord's room, Alexis was becoming more harried with each question.

"What was your previous name?"

"Silea."

"Your past residence?"

"Radiant Garden/Hollow Bastion."

"Your element, if any?"

"I control the stars."

"Your current status?"

"Member of Organization XIII."

"When was the—..."

"LUXORD! WHAT DO ANY OF THESE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?" Alexis screamed, finally snapping.

Without waiting for an answer, she portaled away, leaving a surprised Luxord alone in his room.

* * *

Alexis had no idea where she was going. Or rather, where she was.

She was alone.

She shuddered on the spot, unnerved by her "interrogation".

"Why would Xemnas care about all that stuff? He knew it all." she muttered, sitting down. She looked around, wondering where she was.

She got up and staggered through the area, passing a large, foreboding fountain that spewed greenish water. For safety measures, she pulled her Keyblade from the darkness and held it defensively, as if it were a Moogle doll to squeeze and draw comfort from.

Something clattered behind her. She swirled around, her hair flying behind her, and pulled her Blade into an offensive position. But nothing jumped from the darkness. No shadows appeared to whisk her away to eternity in a nightmare.

"What is this? I, Alexis Starr, jumping at shadows?" she asked herself, bringing her blade to her side.

Then something flashed right by her head.

She screamed and whirled around, and nearly fainted at what she saw.

Maybe a hundred Heartless had appeared from the darkness. Ghosts, Ghouls, Phantoms, and Shadows were everywhere.

Alexis held up her Keyblade. She figured she could beat them.

Her resolve shattered like a bullet through glass when a huge Heartless appeared. Alexis didn't even know what it was. She dropped her blade and it vanished to the darkness, her hands shaking too much to keep it steady. She staggered back as the horde advanced, and she could tell there were thousands in the darkness...waiting somewhere.

She backed up against the fountain and folded herself into a diminutive ball, against the green water spraying fountain.

A scream erupted from her mouth as she saw the first magic of one of the Ghosts hurtling towards her.

She felt it break directly through the thick material of the cloak, and she felt skin being torn apart and blood gushing through an open wound. She screamed in pain and folded herself around her bleeding leg, screeching as another bolt of magic came at her.

"_SOMEONE—HELP!"_

* * *

"Alexis!" someone shouted.

The girl, thinking it was an illusion, just covered herself in her cloak and pressed herself into the shadows cast by the fountain, trying to make herself either disappear or look smaller, her leg aching more than ever.

Something loud whistled through the air. She smelled something burning. She even heard electricity scream through the air and felt the stinging heat of blinding white light on her half-concealed eyelids. Something crashed down and cracked the ground, and Alexis was thrown off-balance.

"Axel! Get her out of here!" someone shouted.

The girl felt the hard clenching of someone's hand on her shoulder and she was ripped from her hiding place. She was then pulled off the ground and carried in an older man's arms, away from the battlefield.

"Alexis, are you okay?" Axel asked as he turned a corner and set the terrified child down.

"I—I—Axel! What...what are you doing here?" Alexis asked, confused.

"I was sent here on a mission...this is Halloweentown...I thought you knew that? At any rate...why are you here alone? You're only seven years old...you really shouldn't be here, it's way too dangerous." the redhead scolded, gently.

"I—I know...Luxord's interrogation was getting to me...I got really fed up with it and I just left his room in a dark corridor and came out here...I didn't know where I was! Then the Heartless appeared and I thought I could take 'em...then the huge one appeared and I just pressed myself against the fountain...some kind of magic sliced a hole in my leg! Look!" she said, showing him her damaged leg.

"Ouch...well you're lucky me, Roxas, Larxene, and Lexaeus were coming to RTC when we did." Axel replied, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm just—worried about what Luxord or Saix or someone _else _will do to me when I get back! I lost my temper and practically bitched out Luxord...and I left the castle grounds without permission and—dammit, Axel, I'm _scared!_"

"I thought you were Alexis Starr? Not afraid of anything?" Axel asked, looking at her.

"I—Well...I am brave. When I'm fighting like...ten or twenty enemies. But...when I'm alone and faced with thousands...it makes you scared. And the thought of a punishment is even more terrifying."

"It'll be okay, Lex. Now come on, we'd better get you back to the castle." Axel said, picking her up again and RTCing.

* * *

"Luxord, were you looking for this?" Axel asked, carrying Alexis towards him.

"Alexis, there you are! I was freaking out when no one could find you in the castle!" Luxord exclaimed, pulling her into his own embrace.

"Sorry, Luxord! I just got so annoyed with all the questioning I dark portaled away. I didn't know where I had gone to! Then—all these Heartless showed up and one slashed my leg and—oh, I thought I was going to die there!" she was practically sobbing into her mentor's sleeve.

"Luxord, really. The girl is out of control. I'm willing to bet all of the munny in the Castle she is faking." Vexen chided, coming over from his corner in the Grey Area.

"She's not faking it, Vexen," Axel growled, staring at the older member, "you should have seen her. She was almost murdered by an army of Heartless. I saw it, I carried her away from that hellhole."

Luxord had sat down on one of the couches, and was trying to calm his charge down with some soothing words.

"It's alright, Alexis. You're fine now. You're back home in the castle. Come on...it's okay." he murmured.

"Oh move over, Vexen." someone said, brushing by the scientist.

"Alexis, how bad is the damage?" Zexion asked, kneeling beside the injured kid.

"I—I don't know. It hurts real bad...it won't stop bleeding.." the girl squeaked, pulling her torn pant leg away.

"Oh...this cut was caused by some kind of dark magic. Science alone won't solve it—yet. I'm afraid we can't fix your leg right now, Alexis." Zexion murmured, gently replacing the cloak and pant leg.

"Oh...it's okay, Zexy...can I at least have something to kill the pain?" she asked, wincing.

"Yes. Come along to the lab, I'm sure we have some harmless painkillers around." the Schemer said, helping the child to her feet and leading her away from the gathering crowd.

* * *

"Axel...what exactly happened at Halloweentown?" Luxord asked, looking at his colleague.

"Well...Larx, Lexa, Roxas, and I were finishing our recon check and were doing a roundabout back to the town center, where the portal was. The Heartless we were supposed to be tracking down and killing were like, nowhere. We heard Alexis scream and Lexaeus went running. We all followed him and we saw poor Alexis pressed to the fountain, maybe five hundred Heartless bearing down on her. Lexaeus had jumped on the first five that were closest to her. Larxene shot off some lightning and eliminated the next few. Then Roxas did some weird flashy thing with his Keyblade and it lit up the entire place. Lexaeus shouted at me to get her out of there, so I did. I retreated around a corner with her and she explained herself. Your questioning had really unnerved her, Lux. She was scared and hurt and she was like—really sorry." Axel finished, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"And the others?" Vexen demanded.

"We're right behind you." Roxas' voice said, as the three other members appeared.

"And Axel's account of it all was absolutely right." Lexaeus added.

"So. Where's the kid?" was all Larxene had to ask.

"The "kid" is down at Vexen and Zexion's lab, trying to fix her leg." Axel answered, raising a brow.

"R-Really? Will she be okay, Axel?" Roxas asked, trying not to seem so worried.

"Bah. Zexion's a kid genius. He'll think of something." Axel replied, ruffling his friend's hair.

"...Right...I'm going to go down and see how Alexis is doing. You four ought to rest up—sounds like you had a really rough day." Luxord said, rising to go.

Four voices, in unison, chuckled, "Oh you have no idea."

And a very concerned Luxord went down to the basement laboratory, where Alexis and Zexion were waiting.


	7. A Rose's Thorn

Luxord knocked on the large door that entered into the laboratory. When he entered, he half-expected to find a room lined with wires and shelves stacked twelve feet high with bubbling beakers. He had, after all, never been down here before. Instead, it was rather comfortable-looking. For a science lab. There was a rowan wood desk with a spinning leather chair in the corner, some medium-sized, metal-topped tables two feet wide and five feet long were in an aisle down the room. And up against the wall were some sealed shelves, with dark, tinted doors. It was actually kind of—homey to the gambler.

"Alexis? Zexion?" he murmured into the room, gently pushing the door away.

He saw them soon enough. Alexis was sitting calmly on one of the tables, her leg cleaned up, while Zexion was rummaging through one of the shelves, chatting animatedly to the small girl.

"So Alexis...what was your life like before the Organization, if I may ask?" the older Nobody questioned as he pulled a container from the shelf, examined it, and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Oh, life in the Radiant Garden was really very nice, Zexion. Before the Siege, everything was really pretty and the people were really nice. My sister and friend and I loved to go down to the marketplace and browse the shops. We had a really good life there." Alexis answered.

"Your sister and friend? I'd no idea you had a sister!" Zexion exclaimed as he inspected another bottle.

"Yes. Xant. She was actually born a Nobody, I've no idea how. But our father was whole while our mother always seemed a bit...cold. Once I learned about Nobodies I understood." Alexis said.

Zexion went quiet for a moment, surprised that someone could be _born _a Nobody, but nonetheless, he continued asking her questions.

"And what of your friend? What was their name?"

"Tamenthe. She was the oldest one of us, kind of like our guardian. The three of us were really close..." Alexis trailed off, a kind of forlorn look in her eyes.

Luxord slipped into the room, having heard enough. Zexion looked over at him then they both looked at Alexis.

"Hey Alexis, how's your leg?" he asked, coming over.

"It still hurts. But Zexion cleaned it up with some water and it doesn't feel as bad anymore." she replied, leaning into him.

"Here it is!" Zexion exclaimed, pulling out a dark colored bottle from a shelf a few feet away. He walked over and shook two pills out from the container, handing them to the girl.

"And "it" is...?" Alexis asked, looking at the pills.

"Painkillers," Zexion laughed, "don't worry, they aren't poison."

Luxord blinked in surprise. He had never heard Zexion laugh before.

Alexis took the two pills and popped them in her mouth, swallowing them after a moment.

"Well...I don't feel any pain. Must be working, then. Thanks, Zexy!" Alexis exclaimed, giving the young scientist a hug before jumping off the table.

When she turned towards the Courtyard, instead of her room, Luxord called after her.

"Hey Alexis? Where are you going?"

"To the Courtyard, where else? Xaldin owes me a training session!"

* * *

Luxord caught up to his charge just as she was going out the front door.

"H-Hey, Alexis, hold on a second." he said, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back.

"What, Luxord?" Alexis asked, sounding just a bit annoyed.

"Alexis, you're limping. You shouldn't work yourself too hard until we really fix your leg." her mentor said, glancing at her bad leg.

"Honestly, Lux! I'm fine!" the child said, crossing her arms.

Luxord nearly chuckled at how childish Alexis was at the moment. Then he caught himself and noticed something.

_Why does she act so—so grown up? She's only seven, after all..._

"Luxord! Seriously, I'll be of no use to the Organization if I lie around getting fat. Fat. FAAAAAAT." Alexis pouted, puncturing each "fat" with a long sound.

Luxord nearly fell to the ground laughing.

"Fat? F-F-Fat? M'dear, Lexi...a few days' rest won't get you fat." he chortled.

"Oh-ho _really?_" Alexis asked, trying to hide a grin, "What about you? I haven't seen you go on a mission in days and you're looking rounder." she finished, prodding him.

Xaldin and Xigbar came around the corner just in time to hear Luxord shout, "WHAT? YOU THINK I'M FAT?"

Alexis laughed at her mentor and ran out into the courtyard, a very PO'd looking Luxord coming after her.

"Uh..." Xigbar cast a questioning glance at Xaldin.

"I—just came down to train." Xaldin replied, staring uncertainly out the door at the two fleeing partners.

* * *

Alexis had ducked behind Marluxia's rose garden, and felt her breath stop short when she realized it.

_Shit...why did I run through here?_

She pressed herself to the ground and was getting ready to portal away when she heard Marluxia coming.

_Crap, crap, crap!_

She rolled completely under the bush, going as quiet as possible to not rustle the leaves, as she watched Marluxia's boots pause, inches from her face.

_Stay calm, Alexis...stay calm...just don't move..._

She timidly drew her injured leg towards her and felt a thorn tug right at the wound. She screeched in pain as she felt the thorn drag through her already injured leg and she thrashed out of the bush, forgetting Marluxia entirely for a second. She shook the thorn from her leg and shouted in alarm as she felt a hand close around her hood and yank her up into the air.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Marluxia screamed at her.

"I—I—MARLUXIA PUT ME DOWN!" Alexis screeched, feeling herself being shaken out of the cloak.

Marluxia, fed up with her, shook out his other hand and slapped Alexis hard right across the cheek. The force of the blow jerked her head to the left and left an angry red handprint on her face.

"Bitch you are going to _pay_." she threatened him as he continued shaking her roughly by the hood.

She slipped out of the coat and hit the ground running, going as fast as she could away from Marluxia. She heard Marluxia giving chase and broke into a sprint, ignoring the pain in her bleeding leg. But aside from the pursuit, she had to admit: running without the Organization cloak made the sprint much faster. Clad in nothing but a black t-shirt and some black skinny jeans, she tore past the Courtyard and heard Marluxia's steps fading.

After a while of continued running, Alexis became conscious of her leg again. It was hurting a lot more now. She got her bearings and noticed she had circled around the Castle completely, and was standing in front of the front door.

"Dammit...did we have a meeting tonight?" she wondered, noticing how low the sun was today.

Just to be safe, she portaled to the Round Room.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Alexis?" Xemnas asked after a while of waiting, the antsy Nobodies around him getting impatient.

"She ran out to Marluxia's garden about an hour ago and I haven't seen her since." Luxord supplied, pushing his card deck up his sleeve, where he usually hid them.

"Oh? Why would she go out there? Marluxia's still upset about his rosebushes being burned." Xemnas said, casting a glance to a wincing Axel.

"She and I were having a bit of a romp in the Courtyard. When I'd realized it was time for the meeting I left and expected her to be here." Luxord explained.

"And—where's Marly?" Demyx asked, looking past Luxord at the empty chair that belonged to the gardener.

"Oh shit...I hope she didn't get caught." Roxas murmured worriedly, "We barely got away last time he went psycho."

"'Psycho' is a bit of an understatement, Rox." Demyx commented, "He was full-blown homicidal."

"Yes," Vexen commented drily, "and Lexaeus and I are still patching up that hole you blew in the ceiling, numbers IX and XIII."

"Technically...we didn't "blow" anything up. We just fell through a part where the vent was too thin." Roxas said.

Saix, on Xemnas' right, did a small facepalm and muttered, "There are so many rules broken just with that one sentence..."

"Can we get this meeting started, Mansex?" Larxene asked irritably, "I'm sick of waiting for that kid."

At that moment, Marluxia appeared on the chair next to Larxene, gripping Alexis' cloak in his hand, looking ready to rip it apart.

"Wow...what bit you today, Marly?" Axel asked from his position across the room, where he had been lounging comfortably.

"Shut up, flamesilocks." was the irritated response.

"Marluxia, what on earth—?" Xemnas asked.

"Alexis! That little brat was in my roses again! I picked her up by her hood then she just dropped out of the coat and went running. I ran after her but she was like, damned fast without the cloak and I lost her." Marluxia practically screamed.

"Cool your jets, Marly." a snickering, high voice said as Alexis materialized from the darkness on the ledge above Luxord's head, "We had a wicked good run. Though your damned roses _did _cut my leg open _again. _And...I still want revenge for the way you—treated me out in your _precious_ garden." she spat out the word "precious", simply egging him on.

"Alexis I swear I will go up there and beat the living daylights out of you!" Marluxia threatened.

"Enough, XI!" Xemnas ordered, feeling a headache coming on, "Everyone's here so let's just get on with the meeting."

As the meeting went on and everyone reported how their daily missions had gone, Marluxia kept casting dark glances up at Alexis. The girl, absorbed in the meeting, honestly couldn't care less, and was ignoring the Assassin to the point of slumping backwards onto her ledge with a loud "uggghhh" when he started to speak. Demyx, Roxas, Axel, and even Luxord and Zexion snickered at their young friend's blatant yet subtle disrespect of the gardener.

When Marluxia had finished talking and the group, apart from a few, disbanded, Alexis got up and looked around with a smile.

Only six members stayed behind after the meeting: Roxas, Axel, Luxord, Xigbar, Demyx...and Xemnas.

"Look out below." she said as she peered downwards and jumped off her ledge, landing with a soft _whump _on Luxord's lap.

"Hey Lex." the Gambler nodded as he looked at her sitting cross-legged on his lap.

"Alexis, I want to know exactly what happened in the Courtyard. And please, young lady, do not lie to me." Xemnas demanded, looking at her.

So Alexis launched into a full account of that afternoon, starting from when she realized she was in Marluxia's garden straight to the point when she saw how low the sun was. When she got to the part about Marluxia slapping her, she spat out her words with a kind of harsh, grating anger that didn't really recede until the end of the story.

"I see...I will definitely have to talk to Marluxia about this." Xemnas said, sinking back in his chair when she had finished.

"That's—really screwed up, Alexis. I'm going to go burn that bitch to H-E—" Axel never finished his sentence, for Xigbar had scraped his throat to speak.

"Xemnas can handle it. Now come on, let's get out of his way." the Freeshooter said, before disappearing with Demyx.

"Xig's right. Come on, Lex, let's go have Zexion have a look at your leg." Luxord said, pulling a portal from the darkness to take them down to lowest place in the castle—for the second time that day.

Before Axel and Roxas left, Xemnas called their attention to him.

"You two, wait." the Superior said.

"Um...yeah, Xemnas?" Roxas asked.

"I doubt that Marluxia's aggression towards our newest member is just about his rosebushes. Please keep an eye on him, see to it he doesn't...injure her." Xemnas instructed them.

"Sure thing, Xemnas. We'll tag him good." Axel snickered, taking Roxas' hand and pulling them both out of the room.

Xemnas stared thoughtfully at the spot where Marluxia usually sat, thinking.

_What's going on in that pink-haired head of yours, I wonder...?_


	8. Circumstances

"Hey Alexis, ready for your mission?" Axel asked one morning, three years later.

Alexis, who had been leaning casually against the glass paneled wall of the Grey Area, looked up at her redheaded friend and huffed.

"Well of course I am, Axel. It's my first _official_ mission since joining." the black haired 10-year-old said.

"Well go on then, go get ready." the firewielder said, grinning.

As Alexis turned to go, a deck-shuffling Luxord came over to Axel.

"She's—actually going on her first mission. And it's solo." the Gambler said, watching Alexis go.

"Heh, well. She's certainly waited long enough. Xig and Xaldin have barely given her a rest from training the last three years." Axel replied, thinking over the hard training the warrior and marksman had put the girl through.

"She is a fighting machine now, VIII. There are hardly any Heartless out there she can't handle herself." Xaldin, who was sitting on a couch not far away, said.

"But still, Xaldin, she barely had an actual...childhood." Axel murmured, then fell silent as Alexis came back, her hood down and her Keyblade in hand.

"So, kid, what's your mission again?" Luxord asked, his eyes falling on his charge.

"I have to go to Twilight Town and eradicate the Nova- and Neoshadows and Darkside there. As well as some Grey Caprices and Scarlet Tangoes. While at the same time destroying the shadow globs there. Also, I am to expect some unexpected circumstances. Saix didn't specify what they were." Alexis said, laying her Keyblade over her shoulders.

"Big menu. Up for it, 'cause I can always ask Xemnas to give you an easier one.." Axel murmured, glancing at the girl's leg, which had never fully healed from the curse the Ghost set on her, that day years ago. Now the Enchantress walked, ran, and fought with a limp, however faint it may be.

"No, Axel, trust me. I can handle this." Alexis insisted, her Keyblade whipping downwards to be aligned with her bad leg.

"If you're sure." Axel murmured, opening the dark portal she would take to Twilight Town.

"Good luck, Alexis!" Luxord said as she stepped through the corridor to her mission.

"You're going to need it..." he added quietly, as all of the ever-watchful Organization members came into the room, prepped for field work.

* * *

Alexis came stumbling through the portal, hitting her bad leg hard as she landed.

"Ouch." she muttered as she picked herself up off the ground, her Keyblade pulled from the darkness.

Something whizzed by her ear.

Her eyes widened and she spun around, readying a bolt of Thundara.

A collection of Scarlet Tangoes and Grey Caprices were hovering forty feet away. Their respective magics were forming into spheres at the tops of their heads, ready to be released.

Thinking on her feet, like she had been forced to get accustomed to with her bad leg, the girl waited for their magics to be released then jumped to the side and just avoided being hit. When her rough skid across the uneven concrete had halted, she loosed off her own magic and blasted two Caprices away. She gave a hoarse shout as the annoyed mages came towards her, their magics being formed and released faster and faster. She took two bad burns on her arms and...something happened.

Time slowed down—literally—only, it didn't stop for the mages. Then two blinding white and purple _somethings _rained down and blasted open the ground right in front of the girl, sending shrapnel at her cloak and ripping it apart in some places. Then time sped up.

Alexis, unable to ponder for long, shot off a bolt of Firaga at the rest of the mages, which miraculously had been affected by the flying pieces of concrete.

Jumping to her feet, the girl looked to her right and dove down into the underground storage areas of the Town, pulling out her potions as she slid down a wall to recover.

"Dang..." she muttered as she gripped the potion bottle and took a huge gulp, "Xemnas had this all planned, I bet. It's impossible to catch a break from him. But...what was with that time thing? And those meteor-like light shards? Maybe...the Heartless learned some new tricks."

Once she had healed sufficiently, she stood up and took notice of where she was.

"Underground. Hm. I think I can get to the Plaza from here." she murmured, setting out.

* * *

Luxord and Xigbar, who had taken position on the top of the Train Station, slipped back into the shadows as they watched Alexis come out of the dark portal Axel had summoned for her.

"Xigbar, you sure we're supposed to be doing this?" Luxord asked uncertainly, as Xigbar pulled out his guns.

"We're under orders, Lux, now get your cards out already." the Freeshooter told him, pushing ammo into each of his guns.

_Under orders._

_Under orders._

_Under orders._

Those two words ran through the head of the Gambler of Fate as his cards fell from his sleeves and he readied them with time magic, waiting for the right moment.

He saw Alexis turning to face the mages that had appeared. Watched her shoot away two of them with Thundara after rolling to the side. Saw her get burned and attacked by a numbing curse.

_Under orders!_

He released his Ace cards and slowed down the time around Alexis, keeping the Heartless from the time stop. He pulled back to watch as Xigbar shot off two arrows and sent them downwards, directly in front of Alexis. The ground exploded, sending down a hailstorm of concrete shards on both his ward and the mages. Luxord then pulled away the time stop and stepped backwards, away from sight, to watch Alexis finish off the mages and flee into the Underground.

_Under orders._

"Good luck, Alexis. This is going to be your hardest mission ever." the gambler murmured, before backing into the dark portal Xigbar had summoned, to another part of the Town.

* * *

Alexis came out of the Underground at Gate 3, in the old alleyway. Something caught her eye and she lurched back and blasted a shadow glob off a wall above her. Another glance told her she had found one of the main places that the shadow globs would be, as she was surrounded by them.

She readied her Fire magic and shot three off of the wall on her eastern side. She whipped around to take aim and blast the glob behind her, when, in the middle of its charge, something blew away the fire into smoke.

She took aim and shot it again, only this time some water-like substance sizzled it away. Annoyed, she turned on her heal and saw two Grey Caprices, hovering there.

They _must _gotten their—whatevers on some Aero and Water magic. Where, the girl could only guess. She switched to Thundara and shot them both away, before returning her attention to the shadow globs. To be safe, she kept at Thundara and blasted it off the wall. She gave likewise treatment to the others in the alley and fled, out to the Plaza.

"Holy...wow I'm in trouble." she said as she skidded to a halt.

A mob of Nova- and Neoshadows were in front of her. They turned to her, their eyes glowing brightly in comparison to their dark colored bodies.

Alexis huffed, and blasted away a Neoshadow with Firaga, while giving the same treatment to two Novashadows that had jumped on her from the left.

She spun around at the slight sound of something behind her and blasted away a Scarlet Tango with Aero magic. Then the 'shadows behind her struck.

* * *

Xemnas, Saix, Roxas, and Axel were watching from the highest building roof in the Twilight Town plaza. Roxas and Axel wore masks of pure fear and worry as they watched Alexis fight off twenty Heartless at a time. Xemnas and Saix, however, looked on in curiosity.

"She fights very well for a cripple, Superior." Saix commented, looking up at him.

"Indeed. Quite surprising, really." Xemnas said, not looking at him.

"Should we like—help her or something? She's having a really rough time of it down there." Axel said, green eyes not leaving the scene below.

"No, VIII, if Alexis is close to death we will go down and help her. Until then, we do nothing." Xemnas said.

Roxas didn't say anything, simply hoping against hope that his friend would make it.

* * *

Alexis was feeling close to her Limit Break. Which was bad and good.

Something inside her, while she was fighting, told her to keep going. She couldn't define it, until a particularly hard blow to her head exploded an image in her head.

_Xant and Tamenthe, standing in the middle of Hollow Bastion. Xant's fiery red hair glowing as bright as her eyes, and Tamenthe's cool blue hair and silver eyes urging her forward._

"Not...yet!" Alexis screamed, blasting the hugest ball of Firaga she had ever conjured up through the mob of Heartless, obliterating at least seven of them.

She felt her Break coming. It was imminent. She rolled out of the mob and pressed herself against a wall, pointing her Keyblade gathered and bunched at the tip of the Blade, the light being drawn from the sky, where the stars were hiding. The building power shook the girl's arms and she fought to keep it steady as she pointed the Blade at the Heartless that had come to face her. And Alexis even noticed that the Darkside she had been seeking had appeared in the Darkness she was creating, and was staring at her from the back of the horde.

She felt it coming. She knew exactly what to do, even if she had never used her Limit Break before.

"_Star Destroyer!" _she screamed, and shot the huge ball of starlight at the Heartless.

It blasted through them with lethal force and precision, touching each once and destroying them on contact. Even the Darkside, at the very back of the horde, sustained massive damage. But it was still standing, and that was a problem.

In the confusion, Alexis slipped herself a Hi-Potion and recovered most of her energy, enough to launch herself through the ranks of the fast-disappearing Heartless towards the Darkside, a ball of Fire magic gathering at her Blade point.

She kept it there and jumped, her sights set on the gaping Heart-shaped hole in its center. As she descended, she jabbed the Fire magic and the blade through the upper wall off the hole, sending the Fire burning through the body of the Darkside. But as the Darkside vanished, something happened with her Keyblade. Something she had never considered or thought possible.

* * *

The rest of the Organization, who had been silently following the girl on her escapade through the Town, joined their Leader and Second-In-Command on the rooftop. They all put their hoods up to avoid recognition and watched their youngest and newest member fight off the Heartless.

"Wow. She's a goner." the voice of Larxene laughed, from somewhere on Axel's left.

"Now, don't say that, Larxy," Demyx's voice said from behind Xemnas, "she'll make it through."

Roxas had been watching Alexis intently, and visibly flinched as he saw her pressed against the wall, clearly close to either death or her Limit Break.

"Luxord, shouldn't she have hit Limit Break yet?" Lexaeus, from behind Roxas, asked the Gambler beside him.

"Actually, I've never seen her Limit Break. So I don't really know." Luxord replied, worry deadening his voice.

"Hey, what's going on with her Keyblade?" Zexion asked, pointing a gloved finger at the tip of the weapon.

"And what the hell is going on with the sky? It's getting—darker." Xigbar commented, his hood turned skyward.

"I—I think it's her Break." Roxas stuttered, as he saw Alexis struggling to contain her Blade, which was jolting out of control.

"_Star Destroyer!" _they all heard Alexis scream, and were all nearly blinded as the explosion of light blasted off of the Keyblade and tore through the ranks of the Heartless.

"Whoa!"

"What the—!"

"That was powerful!"

"Look! A Darkside!"

All their attention was transferred to the huge, towering Heartless that had appeared. They watched it double forward as it was hit on the chest with the remainder of the Star-Comet, and could almost see the energy being drained from it.

"Look! It's Alexis!" Saix's voice rang out over the heads of the Organization as they watched the young girl charge through the Heartless, a burn of Fire magic hovering at the tip of her blade. They saw her drive that burning Keyblade through the hole in the Darkside, watched it smoke and burn as the weakened Heartless was burned from existence.

It was over too fast. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Oh no..." Luxord breathed, watching the mayhem going on with his apprentice below.

* * *

They Keyblade flashed white, then burned into black, badly singeing Alexis' hands as it did.

Alexis felt herself being drained, the blackness of her coat and hair was sucked into the blade, as if the darkness was all the Blade wanted. She struggled to hold it steady as it drained her of all the darkness in her being.

Which was everything.

She felt herself paling, her Keyblade was a harsh, harsh black, and getting darker. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped to the ground, releasing the tool as she did.

She slipped into comatose, one, unidentifiable thing preserving her body.

She had beat the mission...but now her life, it seemed, was hanging by a thread.


	9. Sun and Shadows

Luxord set Alexis down on the bed in her room, terrified about what he had seen that day.

"Careful with that blade," Vexen said as Lexaeus and Roxas carried the eerie black Keyblade in, "Zexion and I have to study it and try to figure out a way to revive Alexis."

Roxas, Axel, and Demyx stood next to Luxord, the firewielder patting him on the back.

"Don't worry, Lux. We'll get her out of this mess." he said.

Xemnas and Saix pushed themselves next to Alexis, looking down at her.

"Any idea what happened?" Xemnas demanded of the two scientists hanging at the back of the group.

"I have a theory. But it's only a theory." Zexion said, stepping forward.

"You see, a few years ago, I was doing some research on Keyblades. I came across a particularly interesting article about a form of power absorption called "The Shadowblade Effect". It can sometimes happen when too much darkness interacts with too much light. Of course, the effect is two-sided. If the overbalance of darkness and light held within the blade, or within close proximity of the blade, is ruptured, the internal balance of dark and light of the blade and its wielder essentially disintegrates. This time, when the effect was too much darkness, the Keyblade reacted in a way that instead of balancing it all out, it sought another way; finding and absorbing as much darkness within twenty feet of the Keyblade's tip. This darkness ranged anywhere from physical darkness to inner darkness, tearing the black from Alexis' cloak, hair, and pupils, while I imagine stealing the darkness from her being. Of course, being a Nobody and completely engulfed in darkness, it took just about everything away from her. Something, I don't know exactly what it was, stayed and managed to keep her in a—somewhat normal state. Physically normal, at least. When she wakes up, there's no way of knowing what her mentality or personality will be."

The Organization had fallen into silence at this, and were all surprised at the end.

"Wait, but what about Roxas?" Axel asked, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "He fights Heartless all the time with a Keyblade and he's never been hit with this before."

"Well, Roxas' element is Light. The great amount of light held within his being must be a very powerful barrier against all the Heartless he fights." Zexion answered, leaning against the wall.

"But...how do we balance her out again, Zexion?" Luxord asked, worriedly watching Alexis' uneven breathing.

"It might just be best to let her rest here for a bit. She was exposed to a lot of Heartless today, maybe their darkness mingling with her inner light was just...too much. We have to remember, she's only ten years old. It was too much." Vexen put in.

"Right. Everyone, out. Vexen and Zexion, find a way to fix her. We'll have to cut down on the missions to find out how to get her well again." Xemnas said, leaving in a swirl of darkness.

As the members filtered out of the room, Luxord, Xigbar, Demyx, Axel, and Roxas stayed behind.

"It's so weird...her being so...still." Roxas murmured, leaning against Axel.

"It's creepy how quiet it is." Demyx added.

Luxord staggered back and sunk down into the desk chair, his head in his hands.

"There were too many...just too many...I should have begged Superior to give her an easier mission..." he murmured.

"Hey easy, Lux. Who could have guessed this would happen?" Xigbar asked.

"I've never even heard of The Shadowblade Effect." Roxas commented.

"Yeah, me neither." Axel said.

They sat and stood staring at the prone form of Alexis, waiting for her to wake up. When she didn't, Axel sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"C'mon guys, let's go." he sighed, slipping out of the room.

The others followed, Luxord quietly shutting the door as he left last.

* * *

Vexen and Zexion were poring over a huge book when Luxord walked in through the open door.

"Yes, please come in, Luxord." Xaldin, who had been hovering by the shelves a few feet away, said.

"Sorry, couldn't wait anymore. This is my protege we're researching about, isn't it?" the card-player asked.

"Welcome, Luxord. You came for an update, I presume?" Vexen asked, rising to his full height and cracking his thin shoulders in the process.

"Yes, Vexen. Have you found a way to fix Alexis yet?" Luxord responded, striding over.

"Well, yes and no." Zexion said, straightening up, "We have a theory. But a theory's all we have."

"What's the theory?" Luxord asked.

"Well...since her—present—condition was caused by the _Shadow_blade effect, maybe we could force its counterpart, the Sunblade effect. This however, would require an unnatural amount of light to be forced into either her being or her Keyblade. Enough to both counteract the dangerous amount of darkness held within the blade and to overpower it. And not just physical light, it has to be spiritual light as well. Essentially her entire being, which had been darkness, was ripped away from her and pushed into her blade."

Luxord seemed confused, so Zexion continued.

"A Keyblade-wielder's Keyblade is like a link to his or her heart, soul, body, and mind. Even for a Nobody, the darkness contained within their Keyblade affects them. Roxas is immune to it because of his Element of Light, but Alexis, on the other hand, is very vulnerable to it."

"But, how do we _fix _her?" Luxord demanded.

Zexion sighed, "That, Luxord, is the tricky part. I think we can depend on Roxas to restore her physical light and maybe some of her mental and spiritual light as well. The rest, however...will take a lot of work."

Luxord stared at him and sighed, grinning mournfully.

"Ironic, isn't it? We work so hard to maintain the darkness...yet now we're fighting to restore the light to our youngest member." he murmured.

* * *

Roxas stood in the center of the Courtyard several weeks later, his Keyblade held unsteadily to the side, the prone form of Alexis laying on a risen marble table Lexaeus had made in front of him.

It was a relatively bright day, for a world engulfed in darkness. Perfect conditions for what was to go down that day.

The black-clad members that made up the Organization had gathered and were in a tight semi-circle behind Roxas. Axel strode forward, resting a hand on his young friend's shoulder.

"Ready for this, Roxas?" he asked. He and the blonde both knew that Roxas was going to need some major R&R after this, but if it worked, Alexis might be even a bit closer to waking up.

"Yeah." Roxas' reply was strangely laced with determination. It was as if he didn't even care that he was about to give maybe his entire strength to his friend. Axel found himself, even as he was slipping back into the Organization, admiring the boy.

"Roxas, begin." Zexion said, tipping his head down from the sky.

The teenager's Keyblade was steadied and pointed directly at Alexis, as he conjured up thought after thought of his friend, and how he felt around her.

_Water-trapping Axel, Xigbar, and Luxord. _

Light started whirling around him, being drawn from within the boy's body, and it started to gather at his Keyblade's point.

_Running through the halls with you and Demyx._

More light surrounded the tip of the Keyblade. An intricate weave of golden and silver light was now dancing slowly around the Keyblade tip. Not enough.

_Eating ice cream with Axel. Goofing off with the instruments in the rec room with Demyx. Sparring and laughing about it after. Teasing Lexaeus and Luxord. Pranking almost everyone in the Castle._

Each memory danced in his head for a moment before solidifying itself in the form of a sphere of light, adding to the light-show surrounding the Keyblade and speeding up the dance.

_Watching you go against the odds. How brave you were and have been, ever since you joined the Organization. How close we've grown in three years._

The painful recollection of each bright memory, made heavier and sadder with the thought—the worry—that she might not make it to continue on, made itself known through transparent tears pricking at the corners of the boy's eyes.

_Alexis! You have to wake up! You _have_ to!_

Memories turned into tears. Tears burned into light. And light danced in a never-ending circle around the point of the Keyblade. It was time.

"Alexis! This is for you!" he shouted, as he let go.

He let go of the pain.

The first shard of light broke from the blade and soared into Alexis. The blackness returned to her cloak. He saw the faintest traces of her breathing quickening.

He let go of the fear of losing her.

_You're going to make it._

The next bolt of light exploded from his Keyblade, flying into the girl. He saw her hair redeem its beautiful black color. He saw her twitch.

He let go of the darkness. The anger, the pain, the worry...

_He let it all go._

The last explosion of light broke away from the blade. It flew into his friend and the black of her uniform was restored. The color returned to her skin. Her eyelids flew open and she gasped in shock as she jerked into a sitting position.

Roxas swayed for a moment, staring at her. The Organization watched with worry. _Were they going back to square one, only this time with the Sunblade effect?_

But Roxas shook himself and returned his Keyblade to the darkness. He ran over to Alexis and enclosed her in a hug, his arms circling around her as he gasped and shook away the tears running down his face.

"Alexis! Alexis! You're okay!" he gasped.

Alexis threw her arms around Roxas, feeling—_renewed._

"Roxas! You saved me!" she shouted.

The crowd cheered. Even though most of the members wouldn't admit it, they had really missed the hyper and happy girl in their ranks.

Luxord, Axel, and Demyx were the first over. Luxord grabbed her and almost squeezed her to death, his cards flying out of his sleeves.

"Alexis! I was so worried you wouldn't make it!" he said, hugging her tightly.

"Ack—Luxord! You're—squishing me!" Alexis gasped, feeling his embrace tightening around her middle.

"Oops. Sorry." the Gambler smiled as he released her.

"Hey, look who's lookin' lively!" Demyx exclaimed as he grabbed Alexis in a hug of his own.

"So—much—hugging!" Alexis exclaimed, but nonetheless hugged him back.

"Alexis, don't ever scare me like that again! Got. It. Memorized?" Axel asked, ruffling her hair.

"Yes I have. It. Memorized!" the girl replied as she threw her arms around the redhead's waist.

"Dudes...it's _great _to be back." she said, releasing Axel and inspecting her body.

The Organization approached. Everyone had a different expression.

Xemnas' face was—as usual—unfazed. Saix had a face that said "I'm just here for the sake of boredom." Zexion wore a huge smile, very glad of having Alexis back. Vexen was just relieved he didn't need to keep his nose in that confounded book anymore. Lexaeus smiled widely but stayed silent. Xaldin simply stood there and nodded, the tiniest smile actually breaking his mask. Larxene had already gotten bored and was playing with iPod. Marluxia just hung in the background, obviously annoyed.

Xemnas pushed his way to the front, and the noise died down as he stood in front of Alexis.

They stared into each others eyes, amber meeting blue, for an intense moment, before Xemnas actually smiled and said.

"Welcome back."


	10. Descision Time

It was three months later, and life was essentially as normal as possible.

Alexis found herself in the Grey Area, alone for once.

The other members were on the other side of the room, playing a rousing game of Cheat! with Luxord's cards.

"I'll call you on that, Xaldin." Roxas said, picking up the Lancer's last card.

"Ha. I knew it." the boy laughed. The members smiled and laughed at Xaldin's look of exasperation as the huge pile of cards was pushed towards him.

Roxas then lay down a card he said was the Ace of Clubs, which was next in line.

"Okay Roxas," Xemnas, who had actually taken a break from work, much to the Organization's surprise, said, "I'll call you on that."

Then he picked up the Key's last card and, to his dismay, saw it _was _indeed the Ace of Clubs.

"Crap." the leader said as he slipped the card into his bigger-than-wanted hand.

"Hey Alexis!" Luxord called, spying her, "Want to play?"

"Um...no thanks. I've got stuff to do." the Stellar Enchantress replied before slipping out of the room.

"What's up with her?" Axel asked, returning his attention to the game.

"No idea. But get out of here, Axel!" Demyx said, picking up the redhead's card and flicking it at him, "You, my friend, have a terrible poker face."

* * *

Alone in the wide hallways of the Castle That Never Was, Alexis found herself overcome with her thoughts.

_A brush with death isn't something you just forget._

Her feet carried her back to her room. Something was just urging her to get there and get there fast.

_Luxord always told me to do what I want to do. To go after what I want most._

She opened the door and stepped inside, shutting and locking the white painted door as she did.

_But...what _do _I want most?_

She couldn't answer. Not fully, at least.

_What do you want the most, Alexis? What is it you want to do?_

She blinked, startled.

_Luxord..._

Her eyes trailed to the shattered photo frame on her nightstand. She remembered something and reached into her pocket, her fingers closing around two pictures.

_Of course._

She pulled out the two photos of Tamenthe and Xant, way back in Radiant Garden.

_Is that what I want the most? To find them?_

Alexis knew the answer to that. Of course she did.

But she'd be leaving the Organization to find them...

"It doesn't matter, does it?" she asked herself as she went to her closet and pulled out another Organization cloak. Only...this one had been bleached white. The zipper was pitch black, though.

_It was the cloak that never had its darkness restored._

Now it would be her distinction.

* * *

The Organization had abandoned their game of Cheat! long ago. Luxord had won—as always. Now they were piling into the dining hall for dinner and were now taking their seats.

"Is Alexis alright?" Vexen asked as he sat down, glancing at the vacant spot that normally belonged to number XV.

"She should be. I haven't seen her all day." Roxas commented, taking his seat between Axel and Xigbar.

"Luxord?" Zexion asked the Gambler.

"I've just been up to her room, she wasn't there. She also wasn't on Naught's Skyway or Twilight's View. I've no idea where she is." Luxord replied, sitting down.

"Hmm. Odd. After dinner, I want some of you to search the castle grounds for her. Report what you find." Xemnas said.

Dinner, it seemed, was much less—happy, if everyone was thinking what Xemnas was suspecting.

* * *

After dinner was over, the Organization split into groups of two. Axel and Roxas, Xigbar and Demyx, Xemnas and Saix, Vexen and Zexion, Larxene and Marluxia, and Xaldin and Lexaeus. Luxord elected to search her room, while everyone else flitted about the Castle.

"No sign of her down here!" Axel shouted from his place in the kitchen. He turned around when he heard banging coming from under the sink and Roxas tumbled out of the cabinet, shaking his head.

"Not down there." he said.

Demyx was tearing apart the rec room with Xigbar behind him, though it was becoming quite clear she wasn't in there.

Xaldin and Lexaeus ran up and down Naught's Skyway, checking every square inch and centimeter.

Everyone else was doing likewise.

And when they re-grouped in the Grey Area, the looks on everyone's faces said the same, exact thing.

**She's not here.**

* * *

The girl in question was currently stealing out into the Dark City, finding the right place to get a dark portal.

Miles away from the Castle she found it—a deserted alleyway that was pitch dark.

She turned around for a moment and stared at the far-off Castle.

With a pang of sadness she remembered Roxas, Axel, Xigbar, Demyx...and Luxord. She was leaving them.

_I have to find Xant and Tamenthe, though. I just have to._

And she summoned a dark portal and fled the World That Never Was, and the life she had attained there.

* * *

"She's deserted!" Xemnas shouted angrily, bringing his fist down hard on the armrest of his chair.

"She left!"

"Fled!"

"Ditched us!"

These and other shouts of anger rocketed around the room, as the annoyed members voiced their own grievances.

"Enough!" Saix eventually shouted.

"Thank you, Saix." Xemnas said once everyone had settled down. He turned to Axel and said:

"Axel, it would seem Alexis has gone AWOL and disappeared. Please find her and bring her back."

Axel flinched, not enthusiastic at the idea, but sighed and nodded.

"Yes sir, Superior." he murmured.

"Now the rest of you. Use your time to track her down but if you find her, do not act unless Axel is with you." Xemnas ordered the rest of them.

That was it. As the members filtered their way out of the Round Room, the same thought was on everyone's mind.

_The hunt was on._


	11. Hide and Go Seek

Alexis, clad in her ivory colored robe, sat down heavily on the ground. She didn't know where she was or how long it had been since leaving the Organization.

_Was I right doing this?_

She knew it had been at least over a week. After the seventh day she stopped counting.

"Where am I anyway?" she wondered looking around. What was so familiar about the place she was standing in? Why did the brick walkways and giant castle seem so...painfully familiar?

_Of course. Hollow Bastion._

Well, she thought, this was as good a place as any to start looking for Tamenthe and Xant.

Returning her Keyblade to the darkness to prevent others from taking her as a threat, she set off through the ruined town. Had it really only been three years since she had last walked these paths?

She approached the beaten-up Marketplace, glad to see at least Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck managing their store.

"'Scuse me," she said, coming over, "what do you have for sale here?"

"What don't we have, Miss?" Huey asked.

"Potions, Elixirs, Tents, Armor, you name it, we got it." Louie replied.

"What can we do you for? Dewey asked.

"Oh. Just some Hi-Potions, some Elixirs, and a Tent, if you don't mind." the girl replied, placing a respectable amount of munny on the counter.

"Right away, Miss." Louie said, sweeping the currency into the cashier.

The three ducklings fled into the back of their store and, to pass the time, Alexis turned around and gazed at the many shops.

There weren't as many people here as she remembered. Most of the shops had closed down. And the occasional flicker of light coming from the city security system caught her eye.

_Where were Squall, Tifa, Yuffie, and Cid?_

Idly she turned around when she heard the boys returning and picked up the items. When they were safely stored away, she took a step back from the counter and twitched her ear at a faint conversation behind her.

"_...Have you seen a small, black haired girl in a long black coat, kind of like mine?"_

Alexis' eyes widened and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

_Crap! It's Axel!_

Knowing the Assassin was probably after _her, _she ducked behind the counter, must to the surprise of the duck boys inside.

"Hey whatchu doing over there, girl?" Huey asked.

"Shush!" Alexis said hurriedly.

"What?" Louie asked, poking his head around the corner.

Without waiting for another thing to be said, Alexis flicked three hundred munny on the counter and said, "Here's 300 munny. I was never here."

Then she fled into the city, right at the moment Axel turned around.

* * *

"Well, the first place to look for her would be Hollow Bastion, wouldn't it Xigbar?" Axel asked the Freeshooter when they had come out of the dark portal.

"No doubt." Xigbar replied, his guns sliding into view.

"You check the Bailey, I'll scout the Marketplace, and we rendezvous outside the re-construction area, okay?" Axel questioned as he rubbed the back of the neck. He really didn't want to do this.

"Sure. But this place is so damn _big. _I don't see why Luxord didn't come along." Xigbar huffed.

"Xemnas told him to stay behind. He might have gotten—emotionally blind to it." Axel answered.

"Yeah and he's not the only one." the two men said at the same time. They looked at each other for a moment, thinking the same thing: This wouldn't be a pleasurable mission.

"We're under orders, Ax." Xigbar said, slipping in the direction of the Bailey.

"Yeah. I just _hate _orders." Axel murmured under his breath, soft enough for no one to hear.

* * *

Axel entered into the Marketplace with nothing to help him in his search. No one had seen a black-clad girl run through. A few had said the name "Silea" sounded a bit familiar, but they had to go before Axel got a straight answer.

Now he stopped a tall, brown haired teen with a large scar across his face. Axel leaned back on his feet and brought his attention to him.

"Ahem. 'Scuse me, but have you seen a small, black haired girl in a long black coat, kind of like mine?" he asked.

The teenager stopped and looked at him for a brief moment, before shaking his head "No".

"Do you know anyone by the name of Silea, Xant, or Tamenthe?" Axel asked, changing tactics.

The brown haired boy stopped and stared.

"Yeah I do. I haven't seen any of them around here for a while, though. Xant and Tamenthe ditched over seven years ago. Silea disappeared three years ago. Why?" he asked.

"I'm looking for them. Any idea where they could be?" Axel asked, feeling on the verge of something.

"Silea, no. But Xant and Tamenthe, I think, left to um...Port Royal, I think. Like I know where _that _is, anyways."

"Ah. Thanks. By the way, what's your name? Mine's Axel." the Flurry said, feeling the need to at least give the boy the courtesy of knowing his name.

"Leon. Some still call me Squall." was the reply. Then the boy turned and left.

"Squall, huh. Weird kid." Axel murmured, turning around.

"I must be going insane." he said, blinking.

"I could've sworn I just saw a white coat going around that corner..."

* * *

Xigbar was having even worse luck than Axel. So far no one had given him anything about Alexis, and he was getting really annoyed.

The peak of his irritation showed when two kids, about ten and eleven, ran by him and shouted in passing, "Hey look! A pirate!"

Xigbar's face turned a shade of red and he retreated behind a building to calm down, reminding himself why he was here.

_To get Alexis back to the Organization._

Simple thing. Easy to remember. He straightened up and turned his gaze skyward, massaging his temple with a finger.

Then an idea struck him. He ducked into the streets and sought out a little, out of the way building. Concealing himself inside, he waited for Alexis to come. As he knew she would, eventually.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time Alexis took a break from silently escaping the Marketplace through the winding streets of Hollow Bastion. No one took any notice of her; kids ran by all the time.

She settled beside a somewhat normal building and breathed slowly, watching the surrounding areas. People walked by, some casually, others hurriedly. No Axel.

"Well if he's here, no doubt someone else is too." she muttered. Oddly, now that she knew she was being pursued, the once-welcoming streets of the City seemed to turn against her. Threatening her by exposing her to the Organization.

_Home, huh. More like a bloody prison._

A white being caught the corner of her eye. She jumped up, sliding her Blade from the darkness as she saw it appear.

_A dragoon! So Xigbar must be here too._

The Nobody hadn't spotted her yet, so she bent over silently and slipped into the house behind her, silently sinking onto the ground below the window, keeping out of its sight.

"Ah ha." someone said as a purple arrow shot through the air and lodged itself into her shoulder, digging the cloth in deeply. Alexis looked up into the face of Xigbar, looking triumphant as he said: "Tag—kiddo; you're it."


	12. In Love and War

Surprised but determined to not get captured, Alexis ripped the arrow out of the wall and flung it at Xigbar. Surprised, the gunman shielded his other eye with an arm, feeling the arrow bounce off his thick sleeve and clatter harmlessly to the floor.

Dropping his hand, he nearly screamed in frustration as he saw Alexis had fled through the open window.

"Go ahead and run." the sharpshooter growled in a low voice, "My Dragoons and Snipers are gonna follow you all the way, kid."

And the two species of Nobodies, created at a simple snap of the fingers, appeared and launched out through the streets of Hollow Bastion, in hot pursuit of the renegade girl.

"I'll see you at the re-construction site soon enough." Xigbar added as he took a dark portal to the site.

* * *

Axel, finally having had enough of mindless questioning towards the city-folk, was walking over to the re-construction site.

"Oh no duh." he muttered as something clicked in his head, "Use the stupid Nobodies."

He created some Assassins and sent them in different directions of the city, quickening his pace towards the rendezvous point.

"Either way," he supposed, "Alexis is getting caught today."

And following behind the lead of his Assassins, any of the pity he felt for the girl was gone. She was the runaway, he and Xigbar were the returners.

* * *

_What a game, _he thought.

Back in the Castle That Never Was, the Organization was waiting for Xigbar and Axel's return. Hopefully with Alexis in their grasp.

"Dude, Alexis is screwed." Demyx sighed, sinking onto one of the couches in the Grey Area.

Roxas, on the chair opposite, looked up with a worried grimace.

"I hope Axel isn't too hard on her." he sighed.

"Ax might be easy on her. But Xigbar? Last time I left the castle—for a completely different reason, you know, he was like—unmerciful." Demyx answered.

"You tried going rogue?" Roxas asked, surprised.

"Not exactly. I was fed up with everyone being so hard on me so I kind of took an—unscheduled vacation." Demyx laughed.

"An unscheduled vacation?" Zexion asked from his position next to the large window, where he had been listening, "IX you flat out ran for it. Xigbar followed you all the way into the deepest part of Atlantica."

Demyx didn't reply, only giving a very loud and annoying twang on his sitar.

"And what happened after you got caught?" Roxas asked, demanding to know more.

"I don't think you need to know." Demyx coughed.

"When Xigbar caught him he marched him up to the Superior, who locked him in his room with no sitar, no music, and essentially nothing to do for four months. Demyx only got out to do missions, which were a lot harder than normal, and for dinner." Zexion said.

"House arrest? That's it?" Roxas asked.

"Ah...after a very stern talking-to from both Superior _and _Xigbar." Zexion said, sharing a glance with Demyx.

"But it depends on the person and how much of a fight they put up when encountered. Demyx got off easy because he didn't fight back when Xigbar caught _him_. And Superior tends to be a bit lenient with younger members." the Schemer continued.

"Oh. I suppose Alexis might get a bit easy off, then." Roxas murmured.

"Ha. Don't count on it. That brat's getting her dues when she gets here." Marluxia's harsh voice rang into the room. A minute later the Assassin appeared, his scythe thrown casually over his shoulder.

"Marluxia? What makes you so sure Alexis is getting such a harsh punishment?" Zexion asked.

"Feh. She's a deserting little brat and I'll be damned if she's let off the hook with less than three months in the dungeon." Marluxia replied.

Soft footsteps entered into the room, and the powerfully built figure of Lexaeus appeared.

"I suppose you're going to be damned, then, Marluxia." he said, "I've just been to speak with Superior. He told me she wasn't going into the dungeons at all."

Roxas and Demyx sighed with relief, while Marluxia looked ready to cut off their heads. Zexion—just walked away.

* * *

Alexis ran out to the center of the re-construction site and nearly collapsed on the concrete.

Nobodies of five different species surrounded her. Dragoons, Creepers, Snipers, Assassins, and even the lurking Dusks—all there to capture her, conscious or not.

"Not without a fight, you won't." she muttered to her surrounding adversaries. Her Keyblade slid into view and she launched herself at a nearby collection of the Dusks—they were the easiest to take down.

Xigbar found Axel at the back of the throng of Nobodies. The redhead was watching the massacre before him with his chakrams limp and his mouth open.

"Ax? Hey, Ax!" Xigbar said, causing his colleague to jump.

"You were like, entranced, Ax. What happened?" the gunman asked.

"See for yourself." Axel replied, pointing.

* * *

The ring of the Keyblade sang through the air as another Sniper disappeared.

Alexis was breathing hard now, but relentlessly, she tore through the ranks of the Nobodies, a wild rage urging her on, even when the sun had passed by overhead and the glow of the moon on the horizon warned of the night's arrival.

The Nobodies' numbers finally seemed to fade.

No more Assassins.

No more Dragoons.

No more Snipers.

No more Creepers.

And no more Dusks.

But the overexertion had worked its hex on the girl. She collapsed on the cold concrete and gripped her Keyblade more tightly as she heard the footsteps and watched the two approaching Nobodies. Her eyes narrowed and eventually closed.

She was unconscious, even when Xigbar picked her up and took her through the dark corridor.

Unconscious, even, when the darkness cleared around Axel and Xigbar and the Grey Room materialized before them.


	13. Lights in the Night

When Alexis finally came around, she felt a cold, hard floor beneath her. Jumping up, she tried summoning her Keyblade...but the weapon wouldn't come.

"What the..?"

She looked up.

The room she was in was made of mainly high, white walls, too high and too slick to climb. Especially not in her current state.

Why did she feel so leaden? It was like she was carrying around a one ton weight on her back.

She looked down at herself.

What she saw—_thought_ she saw, nearly sent her into a fainting fit again. Until her composure was regained.

"I'm a...Dusk?"

She had no idea what was going on. She didn't even know Dusks _could _think. Or that they could _see._ Then again...the world did seem oddly black and white...

_I'm...a DUSK?_

That explained why she couldn't call her Keyblade out. Dusks didn't use weaponry beyond their own agility.

_They...turned me into a Dusk? I always thought that was an empty threat; I didn't think it was actually possible._

"Okay...okay...think. Think. I can't use my Keyblade. I don't have access to my usual powers. I'm three feet tall. And I'm alone in a huge white room." she murmured to herself, fighting back panic.

_Panic? Get a hold of yourself! Dusks can't remember a thing!_

"Ohh, this is a nightmare. Why was I so hardheaded as to leave the Organization? I should've known Xig and Ax would catch me. They're the two top trackers in the whole Order! Now I'm a Dusk...okay...look for the...positives?"

_Yeah, right, _a voice in her head scoffed, _what positives are in being a Dusk?_

That was fair, she decided.

She sank down onto the floor and took deep, steadying breaths.

"This can't be real. This cannot be real. It's got to be some kind of..."

She looked up. Something clicked in her brain.

"Some kind of..."

_Some kind of _illusion!

She jumped up and shouted, "This is an illusion! All a fake! Show yourself, Zexion, I know you're here!"

The illusion shattered. Alexis found herself hurled from the depths of her own imagination onto the hard flooring of a real room. The only room in the castle with thirteen huge chairs...

* * *

Alexis remained crouched on the ground, breathing hard. She was well aware of the sneering, grinning faces of the Organization around her.

"Well done, Alexis. You managed to defeat VI's illusion—in record time." Xemnas commented.

Alexis stood, slowly. She still kept her head down and her shoulders set.

"Indeed," she heard Zexion say, "no one has broken free of an illusion that quickly. And in your state, I expected you to be under the illusion's influence for a much longer amount of time."

She heard the others laugh.

She had to try hard to bite back a retort.

"Your...absence has caused quite the disturbance, XV." Saix said icily.

Alexis finally looked up. Searching the room, her eyes locked with Xemnas' and she sensed some kind of resentment towards him.

But something else was stronger than her resentment. When she let slip the grounding bonds of hatred and frustration, she realized another trait lay nestled beneath the surface.

Loyalty?

Respect?

What _was_ it?

She could tell Xemnas was waiting for her reply. His amber eyes had yet to turn from her blue ones.

Alexis, for all her stubbornness, at least knew when she was beat. Her pride prevented her from sinking to more than one knee, but the bowed head and hidden face was enough to let the message of surrender get through.

At least she understood...when it was time to give in.

* * *

Later that evening found Alexis sitting on the Altar of Naught, watching Kingdom Hearts. She was in a thoughtful mood.

"Where is my heart? Is it up there, nestled in Kingdom Hearts? Or...is it still wandering the worlds, looking for its chance to break free? Where is Tamenthe's heart? And Xant's—if ever one she had? And the hearts of the Organization...I wonder where all of them are?" she murmured.

"All very good questions." a soft voice behind her said.

Alexis jumped and looked around. She saw Luxord standing at the top of the Skyway. He too, was looking up at the moon.

"Oh, Luxord...it's you." Alexis said.

Luxord approached her quietly. She had returned her attention to the sky and barely heard him come.

"...I'm sorry."

Luxord looked at her.

"What?"

"I'm...I'm sorry. I was confused and acting without thinking. Finding Xant and Tamenthe seemed to be the only thing that mattered, when...I guess it wasn't." Alexis said. She fixed her mentor with thoughtful blue eyes and continued, "Family matters to me, even if it doesn't to the Organization. If Xemnas wants me punished for trying to find a way out, fine. It won't erase the love I had for them. Either of them."

Luxord sat down beside her and smiled in a kind, understanding way.

"Alexis, since we first met, I've seen something completely different in you. You're not like the rest of us—you're not lost. You're simply...taking a detour. I don't think you've ever strayed from the path of finding Xant and Tamenthe, or from fighting the Heartless."

"You have a light of your very own. A light that can exist in the light _and_ in the darkness, or in a darkness all its own. I believe I know why you hold sway over the realm of the stars. You don't look to light _or _darkness to guide or accept you. You look to starlight—a light _in_ the darkness. An existence that exists in light _and _darkness. If nothing else—you _were_ meant to exist. As a Somebody _and_ a Nobody, you were meant to exist. If the reason why is to find Xant and Tamenthe, then it isn't right for Xemnas to punish you for it." he said.

He stood up and cast another glance at Kingdom Hearts before adding, "Destiny deals a hand to each of us. And in this game...there are no cheaters."

Then he was gone.

"I'm not the only one who was meant to exist," Alexis murmured, smiling, "Destiny gave you and all Nobodies a second chance. I just wonder how long it'll be before you realize it."

As she left to report to Xemnas, Alexis realized something. Something important.

_I have another family here, in the World That Never Was. Demyx, Roxas, and everyone else. We don't have hearts, and half the time we can't stand each other, but still—we look out for each other. For the most part. That should be enough._

But unfortunately...for some Nobodies...

It just wasn't.


	14. Even Nobodies Have Their Limits

The next few weeks found Alexis up to her neck in humiliation.

Her sentence for punishment had not been too severe—doubled training and work with her dark capabilities disabled for five months. But the other members, save for Roxas, Demyx, Axel, and Luxord, thought she deserved a harsher punishment.

It began with Vexen ordering her around his noxious gas-infested lab to get this, mix that, do this, and all manner of ridiculous tasks, Zexion ordering her to alphabetize his endless shelves of books, and Lexaeus dumping random rocks on her back to help him shift (why, Alexis didn't have a clue.)

That was week one.

It worsened with Xaldin's training sessions; he had taken to using the girl as a training dummy, and nearly six hours were spent with Alexis dodging lances at the merciless ridicule of the passersby—almost everyone in the castle. After said one-sided training session, Saix had dumped five different giant Heartless missions on her—in the _Pridelands!_

Week two.

It finally hit rock bottom when Marluxia demanded her in his garden. Roxas gave her a grimace, Demyx crossed his heart, and Axel just gave her a piteous glance. Smiling weakly, Alexis set off to the Courtyard, wary but nonetheless in no position to disobey.

* * *

"First, you will assist me in moving these roses around." Marluxia said, hefting a pile of prickly roses into the girl's unprotected arms. He had ordered her to roll up her sleeves and do everything he told her to with her bare hands—handling roses wasn't left out.

He led her around and around the garden, constantly shaking his head at many good planting sites, saying nonsense like: "Too damp soil", "Not enough depth", or, and Alexis got a huge kick out of this one, "Too much sun."

Many smart aleck comments rose to Alexis' strained mind, but she wisely kept them back. She knew Marluxia was just waiting for her to slip up.

"Put them down here—not like that, you stupid girl! You'll dent the leaves even more!" the gardener exclaimed.

A vein in Alexis' temple throbbed but she swiftly composed herself. She would _not _give Marluxia a chance to think up a different kind of punishment.

She put down the rose branches and wiped some blood off of her arms.

_Man, these things sting. How does he put up with them every single day?_

Thirty minutes later, Alexis was given the most idiotic order yet.

"Alexis, I changed my mind. Take these out of the ground and move them over there." Marluxia told her, pointing to the spot he had said had "too damp soil".

"You're kidding me." Alexis said scornfully, making no move to uproot the plants."Look, genius, I shifted those roses of yours from place to place and all the good spots you said weren't good enough. Those flowers are in the ground and I am _not _taking them out again because you can't make up your mind."

Marluxia straightened up, a dangerous glint in his eye.

"I'd strongly advise you watch how you speak to me, child. I am still your Superior." Marluxia said, a dark tone in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. That's your _only _comeback! Get some new material, because I have to go see Axel about something. I'll catch you later, XI." Alexis replied. Her tone was hard and her eyes were dark as she turned and left. She didn't care about how she had just talked to Marluxia—he was dumb enough to get on her bad side, so the blame was his.

* * *

"So, kiddo, I hear you got _really _disrespectful with Marluxia earlier." Xigbar's voice was casual as he stood in Alexis' doorway.

"What about it? He was being unreasonably idiotic and told me to move rose branches around and around his garden without gloves or my sleeves down. And after he had planted them, he told me to rip them out of the ground again and move them to a spot he had said wasn't good enough. That's grounds for exploding." Alexis replied from behind the book she was reading.

"True, true. But you _are _still in a lot of trouble." Xigbar said.

"Marluxia being a big baby again? He can scream all the death threats he wants at me, he knows I can still throw his face into the ground in five seconds flat."

Alexis knew she was walking a tight rope now, but her indignation at the disrespect she had been suffering was really getting to her, and resulting in clouded judgment.

Xigbar was taken aback at her attitude. He had watched the kid growing up and she was usually obedient and respectful. This was completely uncharacteristic.

"Alexis, what the hell has gotten into you?" he asked, striding over. He grabbed the book and placed it on her nightstand, then, as Alexis made a move to get up, he grabbed her shoulders and held her down.

Gold eye met dark blue ones as Xigbar waited for an answer.

"The only reason I left was to find Xant and Tamenthe. I don't see why I'm getting all the short ends of the stick when all I wanted was to find out if they were dead or not. I've been looking for them since I was six and I'm still not dropping the chance of finding them no matter who tells me to do what or whatever else. _Family matters to me. _I don't have a heart but I remember well enough what it was like to have someone that I cared about and who cared about me right back. Say what you want to the Superior, Xigbar. He can do what he likes with me. Everything was worth it." Alexis was almost shouting, her frustration was so great.

When Xigbar didn't react right away, Alexis escaped his hold and departed the room.

Alone, Xigbar closed his hands slowly. For once, he didn't have anything to say.

Maybe it was a good thing. Not everything had a remark, after all.

* * *

**I'll admit it. I was short on ideas for this one. Sorries!**

**I'll try to make the next chapters more descriptive Dx  
**


End file.
